Vowels

Question 1

What are the Spanish words for vowel and vowels?

Answer 1

la vocal
(lah boh-KAHL)

las vocales
(lahs boh-KAH-lehs)

Question 2

What are the vowels in the Spanish language?

Answer 2

a, e, i, o, u

Question 3

What is the pronounciation of this Spanish vowel in a word?

A a

Answer 3

“ah” (as in father, car, all)

examples:
amigo (ah-MEE-goh) friend
la casa (lah KAH-sah) the house
Caracas (kah-RAH-kahs) city in Venezuela

Question 4

What is the pronounciation of this Spanish vowel in a word?

E e

Hint: Smile gently and open mouth.

Answer 4

“eh” (as in egg, pen, shed)

examples:
cero (SEH-roh) zero
el hotel (ehl oh-TEHL) the hotel
el elefante (ehl eh-leh-FAHN-teh) elephant

Question 5

What is the pronounciation of this Spanish vowel in a word?

I i

Answer 5

“ee” (as in see, tree, machine)

examples:
el cine (ehl SEE-neh) the cinema
Igual (ee-GWAHL) equal
el kiwi (ehl KEE-wee) the kiwi fruit

Question 6

What is the pronounciation of this Spanish vowel in a word?

O o

Hint: O is short, ending quickly.

Answer 6

“oh” (as in go, orange, floral)

examples:
el totopo (ehl toh-TOH-poh) tortilla chip
la tortilla (lah tohr-TEE-yah) flatbread
domingo (doh-MEENG-goh) Sunday

Question 7

What is the pronounciation of this Spanish vowel in a word?

U u

Answer 7

“oo” (as in pool, moon, book)

examples:
uno (OO-noh) one
puro (POO-roh) pure
la blusa (lah BLOO-sah) the blouse

Question 8

Is the letter “u” silent when following the letter “q”?

Answer 8

Yes.

examples:
aqui (ah-KEE) here
el queso (ehl KEH-soh) the cheese
equis (EH- kees) letter X

Question 9

What sound does the letter “u” make when between a “g” and an “e”?
What sound does the letter “u” make when between a “g” and an “i”?

Answer 9

None. The “u” is silent, and the “g” makes a hard g sound as in gate.

examples:

guerra (GEH-rrah) war
hamburguesa (ahm-boor-GEH-sah) burger

guitarra (gee-TAH-rrah) guitar
Guillermo (gee-YEHR-moh) William

Question 10

What sound does the letter “u” make when between a “g” and “a”?
What sound does the letter “u” make when between a “g” and “o”?

Answer 10

For gua and guo, the “u” sounds like “w” as in the English word water.

examples:

agua (AH-gwah) water
igual (ee-GWAHL) equal

antiguo (ahn-TEE-gwoh) old, ancient
aguoso (ah-GWOH-soh) watery

Question 11

Is the “u” silent when güe and güi are used in a word?

Answer 11

No. The dieresis, two dots above the ü, is used to indicate that the “u” is prononced. The gü is pronounced either “gweh” or “gwee.”

examples:

agüero (ah-GWEH-roh) omen
bilingüe (bee-LEEN-gweh) bilingual

pingüino (peen-GWEE-noh) penguin
lingüística (leen-GWEES-tee-ka) linguistics